Location: 1km Southeast of Ladek Starey
Time: 0830 20 July 2000
<SSG Cutter discusses the situation with SGM Stewart, then heads over to CPT Wolfe. Cutter says "Sir, I
say we make a stand from the village. Ambushes are risky business, especially when we don't have the firepower
that I would like. If we had a tank or even an IFV I'd say the ambush would be the way to go, but we don't know
how many of them there are or what equipment they have. Your call sir, I'm just an enlisted man, you guys get paid
the big bucks.">
CPT Wolfe says "Good advice Cutter. Everyone, mount up! We're gonna go to town and dig our
asses in. We need to be rollin in 5 mikes, and 4 are already gone!" While I'm gettin my gear loaded, I get
on my radio to contact Cpt Cappenetti, " Rattler 1, this is Cobra 1. We're comin' in to defend from town.
How many people do you have over there? We're gonna need all we can get. Over."
CPT Cappanetti calls back "still taking stock of the situation, will have a better idea you when you arrive,
out."
CPT Wolfe calls SGM Stewart and informs him that they are moving into the village, to which SGM Stewart replies
"Roger, moving now."
SGM Stewart and SSG Martinez haul back in and throw their gear into the trucks as they head into town.
Location: The village of Ladek Starey
Time: 0930 20 July 2000
<CPT Cappanetti says we have a few M60s, a Mk19 Grenade launcher, some antitank, and plenty of ammo. There are
5 more of us back at the vehicles. Just waiting for them to call back and give me their take on the situation.>
Lee waits for the reinforcements to come into town. He says to Captain Cappanetti "Hey look, I'm a helo pilot.
Maybe I should have hidden instead of engaging those regulars. But I got this village into this mess, so I feel
obligated to help them out a bit. I'm open to any suggestions."
CPT Cappanetti says "what's done is done, we'll see what we can do. Josef says his scouts should be here shortly.
They should give us a better idea of what we need to do."
Everyone turns and watches as 2 horses arrive, one riderless. Josef talks to the scout and the expression on his
face turns sour.
Josef then walks over to Lee and Cappanetti...He talks a deep breath, sighs, then begins "my scouts, err scout
says he spotted a large soviet unit to the north, it had several APCs and a TANK! They are not conscripts, as they
ambushed my scouts, wounding and capturing one. Several members of the village are packing to head into the forest
to wait out the attack, then return to what's left of the village. I don't know how many others will go with them.
I should know by about 2 this afternoon."
Location: 5 km south of Ladek Starey
Time: 1300 July 2000
<CPT Whitedog says "Like I said before, we should head to the village north of here, get some updated intel,
then head west or south based on what we find out.">
Kartz finishes his meal, makes sure the horses are fed and watered, hooks everything up, cleans the AO, and heads
north per the Capts orders...
Location: 2km East of Highway 43, 14 km Southeast of Ladek Starey
Time: 1030 20 July 2000
<They then head back towards Highway 43, Gunn 20m to the south of the road, with Pickett 20m south of him. They
stop near the highway, and Pickett says "well, which way do you think the AT unit went? The reason I say it
was an AT unit is that they used a top attack round on a BRDM had to have been an AT unit.">
Pickett turns to Maj. Gunn "As much as I'd like to link up with that AT team. I can't see continuing Northward."
Looking to South down Highway 43 "I think we need to put real-estate between Us and Kalisz."
Smiling at Gunn "What say I take point this time.?" Staying on the East side of 43, using the now familiar
20-20 marching order. Converging every 30-45min to check our 6.
Looking back where the old road goes North the way of the AT team went, "Good Luck fellas" then points
his feet South and moves out.
"I think we need to establish a rally point incase we're split up. 10 klicks North of Ostrzeszew, right on
the tree line. Easy nuff to remember." Mindlessly playing with his radio again, not catching anything, after
putting his Browns cap back on and slinging his helmet.
"Maybe we can commandeer some transport in the next settlement and then we can think about the cache. I hate
leaving all that stuff, but I have grown accustomed to living."
Gunn replies "the rally point is easy enough to find, and acquiring some form of transport besides my feet
sounds like a plan, though I was through this area a few weeks ago and don't remember anything more than a few
farms, and they didn't have much."
"I don't have any recent intel on Ostrzeszew, but I think it's our best bet for acquiring anything. I think
it's best that we keep following the highway until we get close to Ostrzeszew, then recon the town and decide from
there. Have at point, that scattergun is better at close range anyways."
"Hey Gunn" during one of the stops, "How do you score in cricket?"
Gunn replies "Cricket is for pantywaists, rugby is a true man's game!"